Tales from the Perilous Realm (Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt: 2008), pp. 314-5.
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The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords. In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveller who would report them. And while he is there it is dangerous for him to ask too many question, lest the gates should be shut and the keys be lost.
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This is a personal list of films begging to be autopsied, films with such a surfeit of philosophical grist that nothing less than peeling them back to the marrow would do them justice. You may consider it this mortician's to-do-list if I ever find the time and discipline to dedicate my best efforts to laying them bare.
Gregory Koukl (Zondervan: Feb 1, 2009), 208 pages.
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In a world increasingly indifferent to Christian truth, followers of Christ need to be equipped to communicate with those who do not speak their language or accept their source of authority. Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to get in the driver’s seat, keeping any conversation moving with thoughtful, artful diplomacy. You’ll learn how to maneuver comfortably and graciously through the minefields, stop challengers in their tracks, turn the tables and — most importantly — get people thinking about Jesus. Soon, your conversations will look more like diplomacy than D-Day. Drawing on extensive experience defending Christianity in the public square, Koukl shows you how to: Initiate conversations effortlessly; Present the truth clearly, cleverly, and persuasively; Graciously and effectively expose faulty thinking; Skillfully manage the details of dialogue; Maintain an engaging, disarming style even under attack. Tactics provides the game plan for communicating the compelling truth about Christianity with confidence and grace. ~ Back Cover
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In its own words: Rationally Speaking is a blog maintained by Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, a
philosopher at the City University of New York. The blog reflects the
Enlightenment figure Marquis de Condorcet's idea of what a public
intellectual (yes, we know, that's such a bad word) ought to be:
someone who devotes himself to "the tracking down of prejudices in the
hiding places where priests, the schools, the government, and all
long-established institutions had gathered and protected them." You are
welcome.
Eugene Thomas Long and Patrick Horn, eds. (Springer-Verlag New York: February 2008), 156 pages.
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This volume is presented as a tribute to D.Z. Phillips and the introduction by Eugene Long includes a brief discussion of Phillips' life and work. The first six articles were originally written at the invitation of Phillips for a conference on the ethics of belief held at Claremont Graduate University. Unfortunately Phillips died unexpectedly July 25, 2006 and was unable to participate in the conference. Two additional essays were invited by the editors to help add Phillips' voice to the discussion. Essays by Allen Wood, Richard Amesbury and Van Harvey discuss the question of the ethics of belief in the context of the evidentialist principle most frequently associated with W. K. Clifford. Essays by Ronney Mourad, Jennifer Faust and Robert Audi are concerned with the voluntariness of belief, the persuasive power of arguments and differing conceptions of faith, belief and acceptance. The final two essays by John Whittaker and Anselm Min focus on Phillips' understanding of the logic and rationality of religious belief. The book concludes with a tribute to Phillips written by Patrick Horn. ~ Product Description
Rodney Stark (HarperOne: September 2009), 288 pages.
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It always seems counterintuitive to moderns that warfare and religion can be consistent. Ideally, followers of the prince of peace are to avoid the sword and shield. Clearly, this has not always been the case. Frequently in the crosshairs of critics are the Christian wars against Muslims known as the Crusades, commonly viewed as the birth of European imperialism and the forced spread of Christianity. But what if we've had it all wrong? What if the Crusades were a justifiable response to a strong and determined foe? Stark, a prominent sociologist and author of 27 books on history and religion, has penned a compelling argument that these bloody encounters had less to do with spreading Christianity than with responding to an ever more dangerous enemy — the emerging Islamic empire. There is much to be learned here. Filled with fascinating historical glimpses of monks and Templars, priests and pilgrims, kings and contemplatives, Stark pulls it all together and challenges us to reconsider our view of the Crusades. ~ Publishers Weekly
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Randal Rauser is a systematic and analytic theologian of evangelical
persuasion. He is driven by apologetic concerns and above all by the
tireless pursuit of truth. The downside is that this requires him to
recognize when he is wrong (which is often) for truth is complex and it
offers us no guarantees that we shall always find it. At the same time,
Randal does not despair of finding truth, for he believes that in a
profound sense Jesus Christ is the truth. For Randal, being like Jesus means knowing the truth, loving the
truth, and living the truth. As Randal seeks to live the truth he
promotes a culture of life that is anti-militaristic and pro-family,
pro-environment and anti-abortion, anti-consumerist and pro-animal. A
disciple on the way … alas, he is not half as smart or as good or as
right as he thinks he is.
Robert Audi in the Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy (Routledge: 1998)
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A state-of-the-art introduction to epistemology by one of the leading figures in the field. Audi makes full use of his mastery both of epistemology and of related areas like philosophical psychology....It would be difficult to imagine a better way to introduce students to epistemology. ~ William P. Alston, Syracuse University
George H. Smith (Prometheus: Jun 1, 1980), 355 pages.
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One of the most attractive features that I found in Smith's book was
his ability to convey complex philosophical dilemmas, that are germane
to the realm of theism, without falling into the common practice -
which most professional philosophers constantly do - of inundating his
arguments with esoteric jargon. Any laymen can peruse through Smith's
work without having to open a philosophical dictionary every five
minutes. While Smith does put forth his charges against religious
belief in a manner that is fairly easy to grasp, he does not sacrifice
substantive content, therefore an individual who is more seasoned in
the subject of philosophy and theology will not find "Atheism: The Case
Against God" lacking by any means. This ability to reach both the
philosophical hobbyist and the academician speaks much of Smith's
talent as a writer as it does of him as a philosopher. ~ Lawrence Louis